2022-2023 Members

Kailey Phan Mitchell

SHOW COORDINATOR

Kailey has been moving and grooving since the age of 2 and is super excited to continue her journey with Echo. She moved to Chicago to study video game development and animation at DePaul University. After graduation in 2020, she spent the rest of quarantine trying to live a life without dance but was ecstatic at the opportunity to audition for Echo. Outside of dance, she works as a Technical Project Manager and Indie Game Developer.

Kate Mellon

Rehearsal director

Kate began dancing at the age of four in her hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky. Throughout high school, she was a member of Owensboro Dance Theatre’s company where she studied in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and pointe. Kate attended college at Western Kentucky University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising. Kate moved to Chicago after graduating in the spring of 2022. This is her first year as a member of Echo Modern Dance Collective and she is also a board member assisting in rehearsal directing. When she’s not dancing, Kate fulfills her passion for fashion merchandising as a luxury bridal stylist.⁣

emma parssi

CO-VP Community Engagement

Emma Parssi is a Chicago dancer, singer, actor and choreographer. Some performance credits include Spamalot (Mercury Theatre Chicago), Can-Can (Porchlight Music Theatre), and Do Re Mi (PMT). She was also a dancer with Esoteric Dance Project’s 2019 season. Choreography credits include: Ovidian Myths, a new play with movement written and directed by Barbra Zahora; The Cicada Dance, a new musical directed by Tammy Mader, and other various concert dance pieces for group and solo performance. After graduating from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA), Emma assisted choreographer Shanna VanDerwerker on productions of Legally Blonde (BAMtheatere) and Mamma Mia (Music Theater Works). Collaboration over multiple disciplines is Emma’s favorite way to create and is excited to work with Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble!

lauretta schafer

VP Social Media

Lauretta is a dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Chicago, Illinois. Introduced to dance as a teen via musical theatre and social dance, she has always cultivated a love of storytelling and community collaboration. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education at Illinois State University and is the founding director of the dance program at Kenwood Academy High School in Hyde Park, Chicago. She has choreographed and performed throughout the city and beyond and is currently pursuing an MFA in dance from Montclair State University. This is her first season with Echo Modern Dance Collective where she danced and served on the board. Outside the studio, she can be found browsing plants and books, searching for the best playlists, and trying new coffee shops.

Amelia Harris

Amelia discovered dance through her middle school drama club. At the age of 16 she moved away from home to attend the Joffrey Ballet School of New York City. There she studied classical Vaganova technique as well as Arpino/Joffrey repertoire. She attended summer programs at the Kirov Academy of Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and the Parsons Dance Company. ⁣
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Amelia then attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she received a BFA in Ballet and a certificate in Global Health. She also has a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies through Cornell. She is passionate about public health, yoga, music, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

Jenny Liu

Jenny Liu is a dancer, choreographer, and undergraduate student at the University of Chicago, where she is currently pursuing a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy/Art History. Jenny first began dancing at the age of 5 and trained in classical ballet with Indiana Ballet Theatre for many years. In high school, she transitioned to focus primarily on modern dance. During this time, she was a dancer and assistant director with the Hotchkiss Dance Company and had the opportunity to perform works by choreographers, such as Yin Yue and Liliana Candotti. Currently, in addition to Echo Modern Dance Collective, Jenny dances and choreographs for Maya Dance Company, a modern and contemporary dance group at UChicago.

Katie Friedman

Katie is currently a physical therapy student at Northwestern University. Katie began dancing at North Shore School of Dance in Highland Park, IL. In high school, Katie participated in NSSD’s repertory dance ensemble, as well as HPHS’s collage dance team, dance show, and Poms team. Additionally, Katie studied at Point Park University International Summer Dance program. Katie holds a B.S. in Movement Science from the University of Michigan. There, Katie participated and lead EnCore, a gender inclusive hip hop team. Katie is super excited to come back to the Chicagoland area to pursue a DPT and continue to dance with Echo. Katie is especially eager to collaborate with all of the awesome artists!

Madison Meade

Madison is a modern/contemporary dancer and choreographer from Auburn, Nebraska. She has a BFA in dance and a minor in theatre from the University of Kansas. While in the University Dance Company, she performed in works by many choreographers including Gabrielle Lamb, Tristian Griffen, James Moreno, Patrick Suzeau, and Michelle Heffner Hayes. Madison is a recipient of KU’s Elizabeth Sherbon Award and was a producer of the first Jayhawk Performance Lab, a student-devised short works festival of theatre and dance. Having graduated with highest distinction in May 2022, she has just moved to Chicago to continue choreographing and dancing in original works!⁣

Nadine Mauricio

Ileana Nadine is a first generation Mexican-American originally from Aurora, Illinois. Growing up in a culturally rich family, she had already developed a strong connection to dance. As a competitive dancer, she has won several awards and recognitions throughout her youth. In 2011 Nadine moved to Chicago to pursue her passion in dance; training at Lou Conte Dance Studio in Modern under Winifred Haun while also teaching youth classes at Xtreme Dance Force, Dynamic Force Dance, and Malti Dance Academy. After taking a break to earn her Bachelors of Art in Advertising Art Direction at Columbia College Chicago 2017, Ileana Nadine returned to the dance world as a performer and choreographer.

Natalie pehl

Natalie is a dancer, soon to be yoga instructor, and registered nurse in the Chicago area. In 2022, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Loyola University Chicago. There she danced and choreographed for The Dance Company, participated in the Loyola Dance Department’s student choreographed shows, and completed dance credits. Before her time at Loyola, she danced and choreographed competitively for multiple studios and was an apprentice for Borealis Dance Company based in Minneapolis, MN. Natalie has been trained in a variety of forms of dance, but has always had an affinity for modern and contemporary styles. She is passionate about sharing and creating the art of dance, and is grateful to continue her passions as a first year member of Echo.

Shannon Shahinian

Shannon Shahinian is a dancer, choreographer, and pediatric social worker working in Chicago, IL. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago with her Bachelor of Arts in Dance as well as her Master of Social Work specializing in Children and Families. While training under Sandra Kaufmann, Sarah Fuller, and Amy Wilkinson at Loyola, Shannon performed in four Mainstage dance concerts including Dances of Death and Light, Voces Gratia, Artifacts of Self, and Ecstatic Earth. As the recipient of two Provost Fellowships, she traveled to Rome, Italy to learn from and perform with Mandala Dance Company and conduct research on human communities through the Pivot Arts Festival in Chicago. Shannon has a great passion for choreographing and presenting new works and has previously done so at Alluvion Dance Chicago’s Emergence, Trifecta Dance Collective’s choreographer showcase, and Simantikos Dance Chicago’s Chi Dance Fest. Currently, Shannon serves as a teaching artist at Rise Up Dance Academy and a pediatric social worker at an intensive therapy clinic in Chicago. Shannon is a believer in the transformative powers of movement and loves sharing her passion with dancers and audiences across the Chicagoland area!

Tara JOhns

Tara is a dancer, choreographer, yoga teacher, and bridal stylist based in Chicago. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in 2017, Tara moved to Chicago to pursue dance and other career opportunities. Prior to joining Echo Modern Dance Collective in 2021, she danced with Noumenon Dance Ensemble for three years. Tara loves to collaborate with other artists and looks forward to continuing her journey within the Chicago Dance Community.